


Tea At Two In The Morning

by LilyAngorian



Series: A Gangster Always Needs A Nurse [6]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: And is reminded of what she is dealing with, Conflict, F/M, Heated exchanges, Stella has a chat with Ada, What is Tommy up to??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 06:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9535505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyAngorian/pseuds/LilyAngorian
Summary: Sorry for not updating this series in ages...life's really got in the way recently, and I've been working on a number of different fics at the same time, so it's been difficult to find the time to focus on these two. But here we are :)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for not updating this series in ages...life's really got in the way recently, and I've been working on a number of different fics at the same time, so it's been difficult to find the time to focus on these two. But here we are :)

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you at first. I wasn’t in my right mind when Tom was in hospital, the nurses and doctors just seemed to blur together.”

“Oh please don’t worry about it.”

Ada looked wary as she made the tea, Karl still clinging to her like she was a lighthouse in the storm. The boy definitely seemed more settled since Tommy had left, but his eyes were still wide and somewhat suspicious. He loudly whispered things to his mother, questions about Stella intercut with nonsense, and Ada scolded him for his persistence and rudeness. Stella felt eased by his behaviour. It was a pattern she’d grown used to dealing with when she’d had to cover shifts on the children's wards. She waited patiently for him to tire of his mother reproachful comments and to wander nervously past her, and then she’d pulled a daft face and waved at him.

Karl’s giggling seemed to startle Ada, but when she turned her head sharply to see the cause, her face softened. Now bashful, Karl staggered off into the other room to play with his toys, and Ada placed the teacup down in-front of Stella, perching herself on the edge of a chair. The table stood between them, wide and marked all over with rings, a tall vase of flowers taking centre stage. Ada moved them to the side of the table, irritated.

“Sorry, that’s Emily. Tom insists I have a girl to help with Karl, and she seems determined to put them all over the house.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“I suppose so.”

Ada barely looked at them, her attention elsewhere.

“You don’t like flowers?”

She seemed to consider the question this time, her eyes wandering to the flowers.

“I like them in the ground, where they’re supposed to be.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ada obviously realised that she was being abrupt, and elaborated hastily to make up for it. 

“I think I probably liked cut flowers more before I met Freddie, my husband. He didn’t have time for that sort of thing, pretty flowers and gifts. So he would write me letters instead, and somehow they always seemed more beautiful.”

“Tommy told me a little about him.”

“Did he? Well, they had their own history. Trust my brother to lace himself through my entire life."

Stella couldn’t help but admire her. Ada had survived the trampling boots of her brothers, survived rising through a world that wanted her family dead, survived her husband’s death. 

“Something the matter?”

“Oh...no, sorry. I was just thinking, it can’t have been easy growing up with your brothers the way they are. Not that it’s really any of my business.”

“You’re here now, so I think that entitles you to an opinion. But I like to think I’ve managed alright. They’re all bastards, but even Tommy knows what’s right for this family. Whether he does it or not is another matter...”

“He’s…remarkable. I mean, he’s quite insane, but h-”

“-Just be careful. Tom has a habit of ruining women.”

Ada said it matter-of-factly, watching Stella carefully.

“Ruining them?”

“Their lives. He’s not a force for good, not most of the time."

“Do you mean his wife?”

“Grace and others. I imagine that there are far more than I care to know about.”

“So I’m just another in a line of distractions?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But you seem sensible enough to know what to do with the warning, which counts for something.”

“Did Grace get a warning?”

“She didn’t even listen to Polly, so she wouldn’t have listened to me. But Grace had plenty of warning, she just chose to ignore it.”

“The prize was worth the sacrifice.”

“Maybe at the time. She’s not here anymore though is she? And you shouldn’t ever think of Tom as a prize. He's always the challenge.”

“Then what do you suggest?"

"You have to decide if he’s worth it, because even if you’ve got him wrapped around your finger, this life isn’t for everyone.”

“I don’t know that I’ve much old life to go back to.”

“He’ll happily have you think that, if you let him. But you shouldn’t trust it. You’ve survived without him up until now.”

“It’s taken him to make me realise I’ve been half awake. All these years. I’ve just been surviving.”

“Better that, trust me. It’ll be like this from now on, him slipping away with a gun in his hand. You won’t sleep until he comes back, won’t be able to think about anything else. The danger will go on exciting you until it doesn’t, until it scares you more than you realise. And then you’ll realise it’s too late to go back.”

“You speak from experience?”

Ada’s eyes darkened.

“Some men are everything we want, but there’s always so much more to them. That’s the problem. You’ll never know Tommy, not really. I don’t.”

“I do appreciate your concern.”

Stella felt the mood shift with her sincerity. Ada seemed almost relieved.

“I know you do. You won’t take my advice, but you aren’t rude about it. I can see why he likes you.”

An awkward pause followed, Stella rushing to fill it, unnerved by the entire exchange. 

“I’m sorry that I’ve imposed on you like this. Tommy didn’t say where he was bringing me.”

“I’ve had worse house guests, trust me.”

Ada was definitely calmer, and Stella got the feeling that now they’d talked, Ada had washed her hands clean of the situation. 

“When do you think…?”

“I’m not going to wait up, but you’re welcome to. I can’t see it being any time soon."

“Right.”

“Can I get you anything else? Food or another drink?”

“Oh, no I’m fine thank you.”

“I’ll get Karl back off to sleep then.”

Ada pushed her chair back, scraping it against the tiles and poured the remainder of her tea into the sink, calling to the boy. 

“I’ll have a few more hours sleep myself, if you’ll be okay down here?”

“Yes, of course.”

Ada nodded, crossed to the doorway of the other room, and picked Karl up. He wriggled in her arms and fussed, so she lowered him carefully down to the floor, taking his hand instead.

“I think there’s a blanket in the cupboard in there. The sofa should be comfy enough if you do decide to sleep, or there’s a bed free up the stairs on your left.”

For a moment Ada seemed wary agin, as though she’d offered something she shouldn’t have. Stella was starting to understand the way things worked with the Shelby family. Tommy made the mess, and the rest of them had to clear it up, even when it could put them at risk. But Ada shook her head a little, and carried on with a calm certainty.

"I’ve got a lodger, but he’s away at the moment, and the sheets were clean on yesterday. You’re welcome to use it.”

“I should be fine down here. But thank you, Ada.”

“Goodnight.”

“Night.”

They walked out into the hall, and Stella watched Ada make her way up the stairs. She was towing Karl behind her, the boy trying to catch one last glimpse of Stella between the banisters. She listened to the boy whining for a while, just being able to make out Ada’s soft words. After a while, the house was silent. Stella sat on the bottom step of the stairs, feeling the chill of the wood pass through her. Glancing over at the clock she realised it was only a few hours until the sun would rise again. Resolving that she would stay awake, she leaned her head gently against the wall, eyes firmly directed at the door. Sleep took her almost immediately. 

*****

Her eyes shot open at the crack of the door swinging back straight into the wall. 

Tommy stumbled into the hall, whisky soaked and loud from mouth to boots, gun visibly tucked into the waistband of his trousers. Stella heard Karl start crying upstairs, heard the creaking floorboards as Ada rushed from her room to her son’s. Tommy did not seem to see Stella, merely made his way past her into the kitchen. Arthur gave her a smile as he pushed past the stairs in pursuit, looking even more compromised than his brother.

“Tommy?” She called, following the pair. At the sound of her voice he whirled around, and reversed his steps across the tiles to where she lingered in the doorway.

“Stella. We fuckin did it Stella!”

Tommy grabbed her by the waist, leaned his forehead against hers and she felt his sweat rub off against her. He was breathing heavily, pupils wide and lips parted with elation - and less natural substances - his gaze too intense. Arthur was chuckling, watching them as Tommy manoeuvred her roughly around the kitchen like they were dancing, hands tight on her resistant frame.

“What happened, where did you go?”

Tommy started to speak, his slightly slurred words incomprehensible, but Arthur cut him off nevertheless.

“That’s not your concern, alright?”

Stella could hear the harsh edge in his drunken voice, marvelled at how few moments she had seemed to be in Arthur's favour. But she was not foolish to press the matter further. Part of her didn’t even want to know, having heard so many rumours, having been initially so hostile to the entire family because of their infamous behaviour. How had things become so twisted, how had she got this far into the midst of something that for so long she had been so wary of? Her talk with Ada had reminded her of a great deal she had allowed to fall into insignificance. 

Ada stalked down the stairs and into the room with a murderous expression, Karl still whining upstairs. She faced the pair of them as though she was a long-suffering schoolmistress. 

“I was under the impression you had your own fucking house.”

“Ada, Ada…” Arthur began loudly. He advanced towards her with his hands in the air, intending to hug her or clap her on the back, but she shunned the gesture, side-stepping to avoid him. She pointed at him, pushing her finger into his chest. 

“Don’t you fucking dare. You come in here, you behave like adults. Not bloody children!”

Arthur paused, his face twisting with displeasure, but Tommy nodded his head slowly. He shot Stella a grin, and she felt a drop in her stomach. She couldn’t be sure if it was pleasure or fear.

“Sorry Ada, we didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Nah, he wanted to get in nice and quiet, and fuck her over the kitchen table before you got up.” Arthur leered, enjoying the opportunity to provoke Ada. 

To Stella’s distaste - or was that pride? - she saw Tommy grin again. She risked a glance at Ada, who was clearly used to her brothers behaviour.

“Do anything like that in my house and I’ll see to it to that you won’t have a dick left to use.”

Ada’s looked apologetic when she glanced over at Stella, but steely to the others. Stella had never felt so uncomfortable, so ashamed at the effect that her presence had created.

She felt Tommy behind her, the sweat of his shirt sticky against her shoulders, the fabric of his open jacket rough against the back of her arms.

"Guess we’ll have to settle for a different table.” 

She felt the whisper in her ear, the words go right through her, gather beneath her skirt. In the midst of it, she had a brief moment of panic. What had she involved herself in? Turning to face him uneasily, she asked

“Tommy, what happened? Where did you go?”

He seemed somewhat sobered by the exchange with his sister, but his eyes were still wild.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s done."

“Tell me.”

“Why? So you can condemn me for my actions?”

“Yes, if you deserve it.”

His face was turning as ugly as Arthur’s had been.

“Says the nurse who wanted to flirt with danger. Is it all too much for you Stella? You regretting your choices?”

Her cheeks flamed.

“Fuck you.”

And then she saw Arthur raise his hand.


End file.
